
Paladin: 3.6(example above), 5.3 with Improved Divine Smite, most of the time see Warlock as we’ll be blasting Monk: 6.56(18 Dex CBE/SS 3 attacks), 7.7(18 Dex Gunner/Sharpshooter Kensei with a musket) The following average damage boosts can be expected to apply when buffing the at-will attacks of optimized PCs of various classes:Īrtificer: Only Battle Smith makes attack rolls, around 7 damage(20 Int CBE/SS), 6.6 if 18 Intīarbarian: around 8 damage(20 Str PAM/GWM Reckless Attack), 8.1 if 18 Str(the buff is bigger with lower accuracy)įighter: 7(20 Dex CBE/SS 3 attacks), 9.25 with 4 attacks Assuming a +4 modifier(18 Charisma, Hexblade 1), that would be +3.475 damage in total. On a Paladin wielding a quarterstaff or spear with the Dueling fighting style, bless amounts to an increase of 0.125 * (1d4+2d6+3xmod+6). How awesome is it? The average +2.5 to an attack roll translates to +12.5% of what you would deal on a hit, and applies to every attack you make.
#Dnd5e shadow blade full#
This won’t amount to a lot over a full day though, and your sorcery points are much better spent on Twinned Spell most of the time. The HexDSS is the best-case scenario for a user of spirit shroud, especially as it can use Quickened Spell to fire another eldritch blast, dealing twice the damage at a steep resource cost.

Or we could use that slot to cast wish and turn all our zombies into CR4 animals until we drop concentration, or make a new simulacrum. Or, we could have just used reverse gravity or conjure celestial. Alternatively, we could have used this spell slot to block things behind a wall of stone or grappled them with bigby’s hand. Whether slots of a level as high as 7 or 9 are worth spending on this kind of simple blasting when we have access to the Sorcerer spell list is an entirely different subject(spoiler: meteor swarm wins that competition). As we can see, with the exception of low ACs spirit guardians quickly pulls ahead of the competition. The following chart shows the difference in damage output when comparing a spirit shroud-using HexDSS to one concentrating on spirit guardians. Since we’re talking about Clerics though, let’s take a look at the caster with the Cleric spell list that has an actual way of benefitting from spirit shroud – the Divine Soul Sorcerer.ĭSS X/Hexblade 2 builds get to use eldritch blast and multiattack, shooting the enemy at point-blank range for a few extra dice. Since Clerics do not have Extra Attack, it probably goes without saying that casting this spell is completely pointless at first glance – spirit guardians cast at the same level deals more damage on average if the target makes its save than spirit shroud does on a hit. 10 minute duration as opposed to 1 minute allows for re-use in dungeons.3d8 damage to every target as opposed to 1d8 on a hit, scaling better and dealing half damage on a successful save.Halves the speed of all enemies within it, not requiring them to start their turn there – this is very good control, as it can stop incoming enemies in their tracks – as opposed to a 10ft reduction for enemies that start their turn near you.

For the same resource cost as spirit shroud, spirit guardians provides: Let’s talk about why none of them would be thrilled to use it.įor a Cleric, this spell competes with spirit guardians, the class’s main concentration spell. As I mentioned before, it’s available to four classes. Reading this spell, the first two things that come to my mind are hex and spirit guardians, meshed together into one spell weaker than either of them. The spell upcasts for +1d8 damage per two spell levels(2d8 at 5 th, 3d8 at 7 th, 4d8 at 9 th), and creatures hit by this effect cannot regain hit points for a turn. Additionally, your attacks against enemies within 10 feet deal an additional 1d8 radiant, cold or necrotic damage. You get to slow enemies within 10 feet of you by 10 feet if they start their turn within that range. A 3rd-level spell available to Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks and Wizards. The spell I want to talk about today is spirit shroud. However, that is not what I want to talk about.

While the new summoning spells are weak, they at least have a leg to stand on by virtue of being summons in a game where summoning is good, and several of them having a legitimate battlefield use. Since the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, plenty of lame spells have been put in the spotlight for various reasons.
